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| The Vanquest Skitch 12 with GT Cobra Strap came ready to work |
The first bag from a
military style bag company that took the time to think.
Bold words coming
from a desk jockey But, let me clarify
my statement with I am merely looking at this from the point of view of a
city-trekker that has spent hundreds of dollars on bags trying to find the
right one that can fit my life. If you
have read anything on our Tumblr page, or have seen anything on our Instagram
page, you know that we are looking for that perfect bag that can shift to our
lives. And, in my eyes, the Vanquest
company has finally been the company that produced a line of bags that meet my
requirements for the daily grind. The
Skitch 12 is the smaller of the two bags, with the Skitch 15 being the larger
of the two. The Skitch 12 is a messenger
style bag that takes a lot of elements that are popular in the messenger style
bag world and moved it over to a more handy package with a few tactical
elements added. I think the main idea
for this bag from Vanquest is just a different carry option that allows for CCW
option while taking advantage of the messenger bag's handiness. Let's face it, we all have that friend that
walks around in the Maxpedition Fatboy-style bags and we all know he is
carrying his daily carry in the thing.
This Skitch 12? It looks like I
am going to work or to the neighborhood Starbucks to write my next review.
My Skitch 12 is in
the wolf gray trim. I chose that because
everything else that I own is decked out in black. A little bit of change is nice. Also, from the one and only non-black bag
that I owned was a gray one. This Skitch
12's wolf gray did exact what that tactical bag did. In certain lights, it changes colors. Wearing a bit of brown or greens and the bag
seemingly adjusts to that color. I think
they should change it from 'wolf gray' to 'tactical gray', because the shifting
of colors is nice. The interior of the
bag is 210-D RIPSTOP nylon in high-visibility orange, a 1000 denier weather
treated Cordura wraps the entire bag nicely as the exterior. The bag sports high-level quality YKK zippers
and all the bells and whistles that you would come to expect from a high-end
military bag. If this were a vehicle, I
feel it would be like the 2-door Jeep Wrangler with some off-roads tires. Almost perfect for as a bug-out vehicle, but
missing the extra set of doors. That may
be the Skitch 15 bag. But, all in all,
this bag is already showing signs of crushing into my top-5 list of bags I'd
prefer. The real-world dimensions of the
bag are 16.5 inches wide, 9 inches tall at the shortest setup and 6 inches deep
with a stretch limit of 9.5. Stretching
the bag out at the depth, may make the bag a bit bulky and odd to handle
though.
FUNCTION 9.85/10 - The function. Wow.
What makes the Skitch 12 such a versatile bag is that it is a bag that
can lend itself to different layouts.
Not only can it extend in depth, it can extend in height. This is definitely a cue from the messenger
bag world. The roll-top flap lends
itself for you to place taller items into the bag and still carry it with
confidence and security. The layout of
the bag has strategically placed hook-and-loop panels and the securing straps
have a very long length of reach giving maximized usefulness. I haven't tested the bag in it's highest
layout, but I push the bag to the limits in depth. I usually don’t carry laptops, my array of
tablets rules my life. My testing
loadout this time: Samsung 10.5 tablet in case, Microsoft Surface RT with
keyboard, 6-inch Kindle, Sol Republic Air Tracks headphones, Grid-It Organizer
with various lengths of USB cables and chargers, small personal first-aid kit,
various pens and markers, Gerber multi-tool, police-issued pepper spray, 2 led
flashlights, tissues, passport, religious charms, lighter, plastic bag of snack
bars and mints, Mylar survival blanket, spare battery pack to charge all my
electronics, light rain-jacket packed into a small plastic tube, various length
of paracord, survival bracelet, self-defense spike in Kydex holster and some
other things that vary depending on where I would be spending most of my day. Usually, a clip-on water bottle will be the
varying element. The bag's layout gave
some key organizing elements that made my loadout listed above very easy to handle.
TACTICAL 8.5/10 - The overall tactical
flexibility of this bag is amazing. It
truly does lend itself to be used in a variety of setups and loadouts. With the little bits of molle-webbing here
and there, it gives you the ability to tack on a few things. Nothing too big, but big enough to handle any
situation. My preference to messenger bags really relate to that opened-mouth
cavity yielding to easy access, and with the single strap layout, it give users
that option to access what they need in the bag without ever really needing to
take it off their body. Living in NYC
where petty theft and subway crimes are starting to increase, having the option
to get things in my bag without taking it off is nice. Also, not to add fuel to the paranoid fire in
the masses, having molle to attach a baton sheath or a self-defense tool, or a
small knife is pretty badass. To
high-light, I live in NYC where having a CCW is almost impossible, so having
the ability to attach a few things that are still legal to defend myself with
is very key.
STYLE 9/10 -
Ok, style is a hard one to judge.
We all have different preferences when it comes to a woman. So, why would it change on preferences with
bags? No one man can agree with 100%
certainty that they will like what another guy likes. I judged the Skitch 12 harshly in this
department. It is, in my eyes, a
top-of-the-line messenger bag loaded with all the options one would need in a
messenger bag. But, it looks like a
messenger bag. A bit plain-Jane, but
very, very functional. It won't win any
beauty pageants, but it will win 'Miss Congeniality'. It is too likeable. The moment you pick up this bag, either in
the GT Cobra sling style or the standard sling style, all you want to do it put
it on. It is the cute girl that
compliments you while shining on her own account. If you like messenger bags, this one is for
you. And, dear god, get the wolf
gray. It is BAD ASS.
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| Test load |
My experience with
the Vanquest Skitch 12 was an overall delightful time. I got on and off the subways without much
problems with my bag fully packed with my loadout and with the GT Cobra strap,
it made the loadout feel like nothing on my shoulder. It was just handy and made with a lot of
thought in mind for easing daily use. I
have always wanted a messenger bag with some military influences, and with the
Skitch 12, I got that. It doesn't stand
out like the other bags I have. It isn't
yelling "LET'S STORM THE PLACE!"
like some of my Hazard 4 bags that are tricked out with rows and rows of
molle. It is merely that cute girl at
the dance that is standing by herself and when you finally ask this girl to
dance, you realize that she is an absolutely filthy freak under that plain
exterior. The Skitch 12 is that cute
girl. Want to appear plain-Jane? Tear off the morale patch and take away the
molle attachments you have on. Want to
go all 'operator'? Slap that stuff back
on, add some sure-fire lights on the molle and go hardcore into it. The bag will keep up with you. This bag in the short period of the review
time has been clubbing and shooting it's way onto the top of my top 5 list of
bags I use. With each and every day that
passes and I choose her over the others, she is edging out the
competition. If the messenger bag is
your kind of bag, GET THIS BAG or its bigger sibling the Skitch 15. You will not regret it whatsoever. Go to www.vanquest.com
and take a look at their awesome line-up of gear. Tell them that Shifter Life Gear Reviews sent
you!
Pat Lau - Shifter
Life m- Gear Reviewer
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